Unconditionally

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The first thing that Jacklyn felt when she woke up was a weird wetness all around her. It felt like she had gone to sleep in a warm, very deep puddle. Her body felt heavy, her wet hair stuck to her shoulders and neck. It was uncomfortable, but Jacklyn did not have the energy to move. She felt disoriented, unsure of how she got to be in this warm puddle. The last thing she remembered was going to sleep on the front steps of the grocery store. What had happened between then and now that put her in her current predicament. Her heart started to race, where was she? Had Hydra taken her? She prayed that it was anything but that, she could not bear the thought of going back to being Hydra's test subject. With a surge of energy from her anxious thoughts, Jacklyn was able to open her eyes and blink blearily at her surroundings.

When Jacklyn's blurry vision cleared, the first thing she saw was a drawing on the wall opposite her. It resembled one of the piers in the Brooklyn area, somewhere she had visited a few times, trying to sneak a few packages of food or blankets. It was a beautiful drawing, but it did not give her any clues as to where she was. Behind the painting was a light turquoise wall, and a small window with an equally as small white curtain in front of it.

She blinked heavily a few more times. She looked down at herself, she was in her tights and thin shirt, she was relived to find that she still had her clothes on, a curtesy Hydra would not have allowed her. She was also happy to see that her disguising bracelet was still on, her cover was not blown.

Jacklyn then took notice that she was in a bath tub, which would make sense as to why she had felt as though she was in a warm puddle. A bath tub, however, was much nicer than a puddle. She had not been in a bath tub in a very long time. The last time she was in a bath tub her mother had washed her as they sang funny little songs to pass the time. Instinctively she looked over to where her mother would have sat, a smile on her face, and a song on her lips. Instead she saw a young man, his eyes closed, yet his face hard, his forehead wrinkled in concern. She took in his light blonde hair, the strong shape of his jaw, and his full lips when she realized, she knew this man. It was Steve Rogers, from the grocery store.

Seeing Steve made her feel inexplicably safe. From their small interactions these past few months, Jacklyn could tell he was a good man. There were not many people who would give food to a homeless person more than once.

A million questions raced through her mind. Was this Steve's house? Had he taken her here? Where was her stuff? Had she been dying from the cold when he found her? What was he doing out so late at night? Jacklyn wanted to ask him all these questions, but when she tried to ask all of her questions, she found she did not have the energy to do it. Instead all that came out of her was one word, or rather, a name.

"Steve?" Jacklyn croaked, frustrated that she was taking so long to recover. She took this as a sign she had not truly died. If she had died her recovery would have been quick and easy, recovering at normal speeds was not something she was used to.

Steve's eyes shot open and his head spun quickly towards her. Their eyes met and Steve seemed to relax a little, the concerned crease on his forehead lessening.

"Jacklyn! I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" He asked quickly, leaning on the side of the bath tub, eagerly awaiting her response. Jacklyn let out a small groan. Her body felt like a rock.

"Wh're 'm I?" She slurred. She screwed her eyes shut and then opened them again, she felt very confused and her mind felt hazy.

"This is my house." Steve answered. "I – uh, you were on the steps to the grocery store and it was so cold out so I went to check on you but you were barely breathing and..." Steve rushed out, feeling bad when he saw the confused and almost scared look on her face. "I'm sorry."